Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton looks on during the second...

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game on March 24, 2022, in Denver.  Credit: AP/David Zalubowski

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers have agreed to sign restricted free agent Deandre Ayton to a four-year, $133 million offer sheet, giving the Phoenix Suns two days to match the offer — or lose the center it selected with the top overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

Bill Duffy, one of Ayton's agents, confirmed the deal with The Associated Press. ESPN first reported the agreement.

If the Suns match the offer sheet, Ayton would not be eligible for a trade until Jan. 15 and he couldn't be dealt to the Pacers for a year. It also could impact Phoenix’s hopes of acquiring Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets.

Should the Suns let Ayton walk, they would receive nothing in return.

Ayton is attempting to leave a team that balked at offering a max deal. If he ends up in Indiana, Ayton would be a pivotal piece in a promising young core that includes 22-year-old point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was acquired in a February trade with Sacramento.

Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has continued the roster overhaul this offseason.

Last month, he drafted Bennedict Mathurin, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard who attended Arizona like Ayton, with the sixth overall draft pick. Then in early July, the Pacers sent combination guard Malcolm Brogdon to Boston, clearing enough cap space to make the pursuit of Ayton realistic.

The recent reports centered around the Pacers negotiating a sign-and-trade deal with Phoenix that could increase Ayton’s annual salary while eliminating the possibility of the Suns matching the offer. Now, Pritchard could have two legitimate starting centers — Ayton and two-time league blocks champ Myles Turner.

Ayton — who turns 24 later this month — had a shaky start but became a critical component in the Suns’ run to the 2021 NBA Finals. Phoenix also won a league-best and franchise record 64 games last season.

Ayton is part of the 2018 draft class that includes Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Atlanta’s Trae Young. The two guards have had more individual success, but neither has made it as far in the playoffs.

The athletic 6-foot-11 Ayton is powerful in the low post and has developed a strong mid-range game. He averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season while shooting 63.4% from the field and 36.8% on 3-pointers.

Much of the criticism about Ayton has been about his maturity. He was suspended 25 games without pay by the NBA in 2019 for violating the league’s Anti-Drug Program by testing positive for a diuretic. He was also benched for part of Game 7 of the team’s second-round loss to Dallas this year after appearing to exchange words with coach Monty Williams.

Still, he is generally popular with histeammates. All-Star guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul often praised Ayton, who did a lot of the little things to help the team win.

Whatever happens with Ayton, Pritchard may not be done wheeling-and-dealing. Indiana has three potential first-round picks in next year’s draft and enough players and assets to help other teams looking for a salary-cap dump.

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